Nov. 20, 2010
? Iowa has only played Alabama once before, coincidentally it was in the 2006 Paradise Jam. The Crimson Tide beat the Hawkeyes 72-60 in the semifinals. Alabama went on to win the tournament that year.
? Iowa sophomore point guard Cully Payne originally committed to play for Alabama, but was granted a release from his National Letter of Intent after a coaching change.
? Redshirt junior Devon Archie had his best collegiate game of his career last night. The native of Indianapolis posted a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds), both personal bests, in 14 minutes of action off the bench. Archie redshirted last season after suffering an injury in preseason practice.
? Junior shooting guard Matt Gatens played his first game of the season after missing the first two games with an injury to his left, non-shooting hand. The Iowa City native netted a team-high 15 points and had a team-best three assists in 27 minutes of action. He was a perfect 6-6 at the foul line.
? Freshman Melsahn Basabe scored double digits for the first time last night. Basabe had 10 points.
? The Hawkeyes had a season-low 10 turnovers against Xavier last night.
? Iowa shot (20) and attempted (28) a season high in free throws last night. Both teams were whistled for a combined 53 fouls (29 on Iowa and 24 on Xavier).
? Iowa out-rebounded Xavier by eight (40-32). The Hawkeyes have out-rebounded their first three opponents by an average of 8.7 boards per contest. Additionally, Iowa pulled down 20 offensive rebounds and scored 15 points on its second chance opportunities.
? Iowa’s bench produced 28 points. The Hawkeye reserves scored 29 in their previous game vs. UL Monroe.
? Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery is 0-1 against Alabama. McCaffery’s UNC Greensboro team lost 89-61 in Tuscaloosa to the third-ranked Crimson Ride in 2002.